Lithuania is the largest and most southerly of the three Baltic republics.

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Lithuania is the only Baltic country with nearly eight hundred years of statehood tradition, while its name was first mentioned one thousand years ago, in 1009.

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Population (2011) ~ 3,203,857

Area 65,200 km2 (25,174 sq mi )

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Lithuania’s most famous culinary export is perhaps cold beet soup. Potatoes also make a regular appearance on menus, popular dishes being potato pancakes and Cepelinai – potato dumplings stuffed with meat, curd cheese or mushrooms.

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Basketball is one of the most popular sports in Lithuania. For millions of people all over the world, it was precisely basketball that put the name of Lithuania on the map together with its star players such as Arvydas Sabonis, Šarūnas Jasikevičius, Arvydas Macijauskas, Žydrūnas Ilgauskas, …